Thankful

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! We were in Mississippi with my husband's family. The boys had a blast playing with their cousins, who are growing just a little too fast, in my opinion. :)

Here's a photo I managed to snag of the little bunch. The quality is not the greatest, but I thought it was too cute not to share. (This is what happens when you have multiple people taking photos of five squirmy kiddos!)

I never get tired of this smile!

He LOVED the trampoline. We may have to get one some day.

I love the way this girl loves her cousins.

Slap. Wore. Out.

My husband and I just finished reading the book "The Noticer" by Andy Andrews, given to us by my father-in-law. It's a must-read for sure! One truth that I gleaned from the story is that whatever we focus on increases; if we focus on our needs, then our needs will increase. But if we focus on the blessings in our lives, we will become increasingly blessed. What an amazing concept! Thanksgiving is such an important holiday, but a heart of gratitude is something we should cultivate all year long.

I have more things to be thankful for than I could possibly share on my blog, but here are five things I'm especially thankful for this year:

1. Riley. Not to take anything away from my heart towards Liam, but Riley came at the most perfect time this year. It just shows that while the mountaintop is exhilarating, new life grows in the valley.

2. Freedom in Christ. Probably the biggest, most life-changing lesson I've learned this year is the extent of which Christ has set us free. We are free from legalism, from guilt and the burdens that life, and others, can place on us. We are free from the paralyzing grip of oppression, even while in the midst of it. I love how God has set my heart free this year.

3. Friends that stick like glue. I'm completely humbled by how much our support system has grown this year. We've met some amazing people that we are so thankful to do life with!

4. Our home. We've enjoyed living in our first house for a year and a half now, and there were times this past year when we weren't sure we'd be able to keep it. We don't take for granted living one day in this beautiful home that God has given us!

5. Hope for the future. The longer we go through trials, the smaller that light at the end of the tunnel can seem. But the Lord keeps giving us evidence to cling to that confirms He's in control, that He's still at work in our lives. He hasn't, and will never, leave us nor turn His back on us. That truth allows me to look ahead with eager anticipation.

What are you most thankful for this year?